On the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, demonstrators gathered at university campuses and city landmarks across the country Wednesday, with some chanting “long live the intifada” and waving Palestinian flags.
In New York, NYU Students for Justice in Palestine staged a walkout in Washington Square Park at 12:30 p.m. as part of what organizers called their “NYU WEEK OF RAGE,” saying in a social media post they remain “steadfast in our commitment to Palestinian liberation.”
At 2 p.m., demonstrators gathered at the gates of Columbia University, where protests have recurred since Oct. 7, 2023. Groups including The Columbia Intifada chanted “globalize the intifada” through a megaphone as students passed through gates now guarded by heightened security. Columbia University has previously told Fox News Digital that The Columbia Intifada is not officially affiliated with the school.
By 4 p.m., some of the same demonstrators had moved to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office at City Hall, where chants and Palestinian flags filled the Financial District.
Mamdani addressed the anniversary earlier Wednesday, writing on X that “we grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors” affected by the 2023 attack, while also criticizing Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
“The suffering did not begin nor end that day,” Mamdani wrote. “It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza, in which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians — including more than 21,000 children.”
Mamdani’s schedule for the day included a vigil for Israeli victims of the attack followed by a meeting with “Palestinian New Yorkers.”
In California, Students for Justice in Palestine UCLA gathered at Bruin Plaza on the Los Angeles campus with messages echoing those at East Coast protests. At UC Davis, demonstrators referred to Oct. 7 as the “anniversary of the al-Aqsa Flood” — the military code name Hamas gave its attack — and called for “glory to the resistance.”
The attack three years ago saw Hamas-led terrorists storm into southern Israel from Gaza, killing roughly 1,200 people, many at a music festival, and taking more than 250 hostages into Gaza. The conflict that followed continues today.
A Recurring Network of Organizers
Wednesday’s demonstrations highlighted an organizing infrastructure that has supported anti-Israel protests nationwide since October 2023. Groups tied to the Singham donor network, including the People’s Forum and CodePink, were present at several events.
On Tuesday, the People’s Forum worked with Shut It Down 4 Palestine to plan a separate demonstration set for Saturday in Washington Square Park, described in a social media post as an effort
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